There has been a raid of a Pattaya Bar suspected of showing Australian horse racing. Those in attendance were allowed to place bets on the races with the bar owner. The raid was a joint operation involving local police and the Department of Special Investigations (DSI) Eastern Branch.

That raid was carried out at 3.30pm on Saturday afternoon at The Members Lounge off Soi Baukao, owned by Khun Gaewjai aged 52 and her Australian husband Mr. Robert Steven Younger aged 58. At the rear of the bar was a separate room containing a 50 inch TV which was showing live streaming of Australian Horse Racing.

Betting slips and a total of 72,000 Baht in cash were seized and 17 foreign nationals and 4 Thai’s were arrested and taken to Pattaya Police Station along with the evidence collected at the scene. Police revealed how Mr. Younger had registered with a betting company in Australia and would make bets on behalf of customers at the bar which contravenes Thailand’s strict anti-gambling laws. All those caught during the raid will be charged with a variety of gambling offenses related to betting on Australian horse racing.

Horse racing in Australia is an huge sport for spectators. Gambling on those races is a big part of the culture and economy in the country, with 14.3 billion Aussie dollars wagered each year. There are currently two forms of Australian horse racing, which are so-called flat racing and racing over hurdles and/or fences . Horse racing is also one of the most popular sports for spectators in Australia.